The Pleasant Valley resident made the proclamation with a laugh, minutes before he and his family got in their canoe. He then admitted that he didn’t expect to break any kind of records in the 48th annual Wappingers Creek Water Derby.

Like most paddlers, he was there for fun and to enjoy a relaxing ride down the creek.

“The best part is the camaraderie and it’s just peaceful,” Hichak said of the event. “We’re not really here to blister the course record, we’re just here to have fun.”

Hichak and his family were among the scores of paddlers who participated. Race officials said there were more than 100 boats that took off from the Pleasant Valley Recreation Center, traveled eight miles down the creek and finished at the Greenvale Recreation Park in the Town of Poughkeepsie.

Participants said the course was in great shape under mostly sunny skies, even despite Friday’s inclement weather.

And, while Hichak raved about the fun the day brought, others couldn’t help but reminisce on past years paddling in the water derby.

Although he couldn’t remember the year, LaGrangeville’s Frank Erdt remembered an instance in which it snowed on the day of the event.

He has participated in every race since 1987, except one.

“I still have pictures on my fridge from 31 years ago when we were here,” Erdt said. “From then to now, I’ve only missed one year. It’s a lot of fun. Family times.”

Saturday marked the fifth water derby for Jillian Barnes, a Millbrook resident and a teacher and lacrosse coach in the Millbrook Central School District.

The best part for her, too, is the camaraderie among the participants — as well as the support of the spectators.

“There’s people on the side that always come out and wave or have us over. We like to stop in and have mini-parties on the side of the bank, that’s always fun,” Barnes said. “They have snacks and things for all the racers, and water bottles to keep us hydrated. They cheer you on as you go by, and it’s really nice.”

Like Erdt, Barnes has fond memories of the water derby.

One year, she and her friends discovered a wooden chair along the banks of the creek. They picked it up and brought it with them — and not just for the remainder of their ride.

“At my bridal shower, we brought the chair and that was the chair I sat in opening all my presents,” Barnes said, holding back laughter. “A nice, wood chair that was on the side. You never know what you’re going to find down the creek!”

Veronica Lopez of Carmel was participating in her first water derby.

She confessed a little bit of intimidation, hoping she wouldn’t bump into any other paddlers in her kayak, or keep going after she'd passed the finish line.

But in the end, she was pleased with how it turned out.

“There were some currents I wasn’t expecting at times, but it was fun,” Lopez said. “I would definitely do it again, I’ll be back here for years to come.”

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Mike Kane and Nolan Holmes paddle to the dock after crossing the finish line at the 48th annual Wappingers Creek Water Derby on Saturday.(Photo: A.J. Martelli/Poughkeepsie Journal)

Mike Kane, a Hopewell Junction resident, and Nolan Holmes, a Poughkeepsie resident, both said the course was “clean and clear.”

“It was nice,” Kane said. “Scenic!”

Likewise, both were participating in their first water derby, and they don’t think it’ll be their last.